Dynamite Lumpia (Lumpiang Dinamita)

The perfect crispy, spicy and flavor-packed appetizer– this dynamite lumpia (dinamita) will be your new favorite party dish. 

Not only is this called Dynamite Lumpia because it has a kick, but also because the final product looks like little dynamite with the stems sticking out. If you have tried my Lumpiang Shanghai recipe, this is very similar, except the filling is first piped into a pepper along with some vegan cheese before wrapping. It is a bit more time-consuming to make, but I promise it will be worth it!

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Vegan Ground Meat: This recipe typically uses ground beef or ground pork, so to veganize it, I am using vegan ground beef from Impossible Foods. Any vegan ground beef of your choice should work. I don’t precook the vegan meat since it cooks quickly in general. It cooked through when frying the lumpia. 
• Garlic: We prefer to use fresh garlic cloves, but you can also opt for powder if that is all you have.
• Green Onion: We prefer green onion, but white onion, yellow onion, and even red onion work.
• Salt and Pepper: Seasoned to taste. You can always test the filling before frying by cooking a mall amount in a pan and tasting it to see if you want to adjust the seasonings.
• Chili peppers: This recipe typically uses siling haba, but I could not access them in my area, so I opted for serrano peppers. Any green chili of your choice should work. We recommend getting long green peppers and getting some that are straight so that they are easier to wrap. You can even opt for mini sweet peppers to omit the spice altogether if you need to.
• Lumpia Wrappers: Lumpia or spring roll wrappers. Ours were 5 1/2-inch squares.
• Oil: Be sure to us a high heat oil for frying.
• Vegan Cheddar Cheese: We used the Daiya Cheddar Blocks but any block vegan cheese will be fine.
• Dipping Sauce of Choice: I like to serve these with sweet chili sauce, banana ketchup, Filipino sawsawan, or garlic and vinegar.

Equipment

• Baking Sheet, to rest the lumpia on while rolling
• Paper towel-lined plate or wire rack, to drain off excess oil
• Large Skillet, for frying

How To Fill The Green Peppers

• Mix the impossible meat, garlic, green onions, salt, and black pepper until uniform in a large bowl. Optional: Transfer the filling to a piping bag with a ⅓ to 1/2-inch tip and set aside. The size of the tip will depend on your pepper size. Start small and cut it bigger as needed. 
• Next, hollow out the peppers. Using a small knife, carefully cut the pepper open lengthwise, starting from the base of the stem. If the pepper is thin and hard to open, you can also cut a slit horizontally at the base of the stem to help it open up more. Carefully cut a slit down the pepper, long ways. 
• Using a small spoon (we used a 1/8 tsp measuring spoon), hollow out the pepper, removing all seeds and white ribs. Tip: You can wear gloves while doing this to help protect you from the spicy oils the pepper releases. 
• Add a piece of cheese inside the pepper, then pipe in the filling to fill in the rest of the space. Continue with the remaining peppers. 
• If you have any leftover filling, you can fill the lumpia wrappers without the peppers and make a variation of lumpiang shanghai.

How To Fold The Dynamite Lumpia

Grab one sheet of lumpia wrapper to wrap the pepper. Lay the lumpia wrapper out on a flat surface in a diamond shape.

Fold the top corner of the wrapper inward, and then place the stuffed pepper vertically in the wrapper with the stem sticking out from the top of the wrapper.

Fold the bottom corner up over the pepper, and then turn everything 90-degrees (either way).

Fold the bottom side over the pepper and roll tightly to close the lumpia, sealing with a dab of water. Place the lumpia on a baking sheet, seam side down, and continue with the remaining stuffed peppers.

How To Serve Dynamite Lumpia

• You can serve the lumpia whole or halve them with a crosswise cut to up the presentation. 
• I like to serve these with sweet chili sauce, banana ketchup, Filipino sawsawan, or garlic and vinegar. 
• It pairs well with a tall cold glass of beer!
• These dynamite lumpia are best enjoyed the day they are made. To keep them warm, you can place them on a wire rack in a 200 F oven until ready to serve.
• You can keep the lumpia covered in a single layer in the refrigerator with a damp paper towel over the top until ready to fry (if you are preparing it the same day), or you can freeze it for future use. 
• To freeze, place all of the lumpia on a baking sheet and place that into the freezer. Once frozen, transfer the lumpia into an air-tight container or bag and put it back into the freezer until ready to use. Freeze for up to 3 months and fry frozen until golden and crispy. 

Tips Before Getting Started

• Air fryer instructions: You can air fry these from fresh or frozen; both work, and there is no need to precook the filling! Coat the outside of the lumpia with a thin layer of cooking oil and place it in a single layer in the air fryer. Air fry at 360°F for 15-18 minutes, flipping halfway through. Cool before serving to allow it to crisp up and enjoy! 
• I have tested this recipe with beyond meat, and although the recipe did work, it had an overpowering “beyond meat taste” that took away from the recipe, in my opinion.
• The lumpia wrappers that we use are found in the frozen section of our local Asian market. We like to use the wrappers that say “extra crispy” on the package. Wonton wrappers will work, BUT the lumpia will look bubbly on the outside.
• To make these gluten-free, you can opt to use rice paper instead of lumpia wrappers, just as you would in Vietnamese Spring Rolls. Refer to this youtube video for tips on preventing them from splattering and ensuring that you have the best possible results when frying with rice paper. Her recipe is NOT is a vegan recipe, but I am sharing it for the sake of the technique she used to wrap and fry her rolls. You will also need to use a vegan meat instead of the impossible as it is not gluten free.
• Be sure not to overcrowd the pan and fry these in batches so that they cook evenly.
• If the wrapper does not seal, you can opt to make cornstarch “glue” instead. To make this, mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan, bring to a boil over low heat, and stir often until thickened into a glue-like consistency. Allow it to cook until it is easy to handle.

More Vegan Filipino Recipes to Try

• Lumpiang Shanghai (Filipino Spring Rolls)
• Siopao Asado (Filipino Steamed Buns)
• Suman Malagkit (Filipino Steamed Rice Cakes)
• Ube Pandesal (Filipino Purple Yam Bread Rolls)
• Banana Cue (Filipino Fried Caramelized Bananas)
• Pancit Bihon
• Bistek Tagalog (Filipino Beef Steak)

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